


Falling

by faegal04



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Caryl, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-03 03:31:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6594862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faegal04/pseuds/faegal04
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the lineup, Daryl has powerful memories of Carol</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for the 1st song fic challenge for Caryl Cheerleaders on Facebook. I chose the song "Can't Help Falling in Love with You" by Elvis Presley
> 
> A huge thank you to SOAlovingmom for reading this over!

“Get the rest of ‘em out here and in the line-up!” came a deep gravelly voice.

Dwight nodded and walked towards the van. Grasping the handle he motioned a fellow savior over to guard the prisoners (even though they were weaponless, he wasn’t taking any chances) as they were shepherded out one by one.

Blinking and squinting from the floodlights illuminating the small circle of hell they were being corralled in, Daryl scanned the group quickly for one face, heaving a small sigh of satisfaction that she wasn’t there, that she was safe at home, he let himself be manhandled by a member of the so-called saviors. Looking grey and weak from being shot, wrapped in a blanket that Michonne had found in the back of the van, Daryl felt himself be forced to his knees. The only color on the quiet hunter was from the crimson blood that splashed up onto his neck and over his shoulder, while more of the warm liquid ran down the front of his chest, making him grip the blanket back up around his shoulders when it slipped down.

Michonne was next out of the van, with a stoic face blinking quickly from the sudden light after being in the dark for so long. The only surprise on her face was seeing Carl towards the end of the macabre line up of her family. Rosita followed quickly, the terror on her pale face evident when she stumbled and Michonne reached out to help her and received a gun pointing in her face, while Dwight shook his head no ever so slightly. Glenn was the last one to be pulled from the van. His struggles ceased immediately when he saw the pale, sweaty face of his wife. “Maggie!” he yelled as he was shoved brutally to his knees.

“Time for the man of the hour,” said the mustached man standing by the RV door. Daryl shook his head and looked around again, to verify what his head already knew but his heart was having trouble with. Carol was safe, she wasn’t here, but as he looked at the faces of the others that had slowly become a family to him, he wished that none of them were there in that hellish place.

Everyone had somewhat calmed down after the asshole had threatened to kill Maggie, for a minute Daryl thought for sure that Glenn was going to die, he felt himself growing weaker and colder. Listening to this prick Negan was getting on his nerves. ‘Asshole, likes to hear himself talk’ he thought. Daryl glanced over to where Rick was and saw that he would be no help if they were going to be able to get out of this mess. He hadn’t seen that glazed look on his friend’s face since Lori died.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed the prick had stopped right in front of him. He turned his gaze up to look at the man who was going to beat someone with a bat for what the group had done. Even though he was on his knees, Daryl pulled himself up straighter. He would show no fear-this man is who his old man would’ve become if he hadn’t already been dead. “I just can’t decide,” said Negan in a deep voice. He stepped back a few paces and looked up and down the group. ‘At least Carol’s safe,’ Daryl thought as he stared the mad man in the face.

“I’ve got it! I know just how to decide!” Negan said with an evil smile and a chilling twinkle in his eyes. Daryl pictured Carol in his head, staring at him with her beautiful blue eyes, smiling.

**“Eeny, meeny, miney, moe”**

A million memories flashed through Daryl’s mind at the start of this children’s game

_Wise men say, only fools rush in_

Lying in a creek bed, with an arrow through his side, Merle leaning over him, taunting “Ain’t nobody ever gonna love you like I do, little brother”.

Another flash and Denise standing there yelling at him “I never told Tara I loved her, and if you don’t wake up”-

_But I can’t help falling in love with you_

Laying in the bed at the farm, all bandaged up and seeing her sweet face. “You did more today for my little girl than her daddy did his whole life.” Flinching as she leaned over him to lay a gentle kiss on his forehead. “You’re every bit as good as them.”

**“Catch a tiger”**

_Shall I stay_

Pounding the tip of the knife over and over again in the cement floor of the tombs while he worked up the courage to open that door and put Carol down

_Would it be a sin_

Watching slowly as her head lifted and those beautiful eyes opened with life still in her gaze. “Daryl,” she murmured softly.

_If I can’t help falling in love with you_

Picking her up gently and cradling her small frame as he carried her to safety.

_Like a river flows, surely to the sea_

Standing in the dark on an overturned bus-“Pretty romantic. Screw around?” she had said playfully after he had massaged her shoulder.

_Darling so it goes_

Standing with her in the prison yard as all these new comers called out to him. “Just remember, I liked you first,” she said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

**"If he hollers"**

_Some things are meant to be_

Trying to catch his breath after escaping Terminus, hearing leaves crunching from behind them, turning slowly and seeing her standing there. Running as fast as he could, not caring who saw, putting his arms around her, picking her up off the ground.

Talking with her on the road when they had gotten water. “We get to start over,” he had said when he could feel her pulling away.

**“Let him go”**

_Take my hand_

Sitting in the van, thinking it was their last minutes together in this life. She reached over and grabbed his hand. “You hold on,” he said fiercely as her breathing got faster from fear.

_Take my whole life too_

The van flipping over after the walkers had pushed them off the overpass, slamming into the ground. Relief flashing through his eyes when she spoke. “I’m still here.”

**“My mother told me”**

Standing in a clearing with her. “You have to let yourself feel it. I can’t, but you, you will.” Feeling her brush his hair from his eyes, and gently touching her lips to his forehead.

_Like a river flows surely to the sea_

Sitting on the porch at their new home in Alexandria looking at her in that Stepford wife get up. “I’ll hose you down in your sleep.” She said as she walked away. “You look ridiculous!” he yelled to her with a smirk.

**“To pick the very best one”**

Finding her alive in the slaughterhouse after she had been taken. “You okay.” He said, checking her over for injuries. “No,” she stammered. “C’mere,” wrapping her up safe in his arms.

**“And you are it!”**

Barbed wire wrapped around a bat, filled his vision, as the psychopath stopped in front of him.

_Take my hand, take my whole life too_

Lying next to each other and staring into her beautiful eyes. “Look at me Daryl, don’t worry, it’s almost over.”

The first hit knocked him to the ground. He pushed back up to his knees, blood starting to trickle down his forehead, he wasn’t afraid to die, he was only sad that he had never told her how he felt.

“Look at that, takin’ it like a champ!” he heard almost like an echo. The second hit, had the blood flowing more freely into his vision as he fell towards the earth, knowing he didn’t have the strength to pull himself back up.

_For I can’t help falling in love with you_

“Daryl, I love you, it’s okay to close your eyes now.” A sweet gentle kiss on his lips and the last face he saw in his mind was of her. Hearing the screams from his family as he closed his eyes forever.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story I have ever posted here, please be gentle! Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Walking Dead, they belong to Kirkman, AMC, and Gimple. I just borrow the characters from time to time. No copyright infringement is intended.


End file.
